Adjustable kickstand

ABSTRACT

An adjustable kickstand, such as a motorcycle kickstand, includes a generally-tubular outer member defining a longitudinal bore by which a second member slides into. The first member or outer member maintains a set bolt by which to slide into pre-set bores within the inner member to adjust the height or angle of the motorcycle. The support member further includes a tension spring urging the members to a retracted position relative to the motorcycle and at least one gravity-responsive locking element carried within respective members. By pushing both members the attitude of the two members moves between an operative orientation and a stowage orientation.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to support devices for motorized vehicles that areoften used to support or level the vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Two-wheeled vehicles, such as bicycles or motorcycles, tend to beunstable when they are not in motion. Without some additional supportmeans, such as a kick stand, gravity causes a stationary two-wheeledvehicle to fall over.

People who own, transport or service a two-wheeled vehicle often have aneed to maintain the vehicle in a substantially vertical position. Whilea kickstand generally suffices to support the vehicle at rest, the useof a kickstand alone is often inadequate where the vehicle is subject toother forces. For example, a motorcycle being transported within anothervehicle may be subjected to inertial forces, tilting and rockingmotions, vibrations and the like which can cause the motorcycle totopple over. A stationary two-wheeled vehicle on solid ground may evenbe subjected to external forces by gusting winds or flowing water, forexample.

The servicing of a vehicle is another situation which may cause externalforces to be applied to the vehicle. A person working on the vehiclewill likely introduce forces or shift the vehicle's center of gravityby, for example, applying torque to fasteners, hammering, prying, andattaching and removing parts of the vehicle. To prevent property damageand personal injury, it is particularly important that the vehicleremain stable and not fall over while the person is engaged in servicingthe vehicle.

Furthermore, to facilitate working upon the vehicle, it is desirable insome instances that the vehicle be supported in a special position, suchas with one wheel off the ground, to allow easier access to some parts.

Most kickstands which are designed to be permanently attached to avehicle are disadvantageous for concentrating into a small area theforce needed to hold the vehicle upright. If a kickstand is deployed ona surface that is not hard or sturdy enough, the kickstand will depressinto the surface and eventually allow the vehicle to fall over, possiblycausing damage or personal injury.

The prior art teaches a myriad of extendable support members or legs fora variety of objects and devices, by which each are provided a limitedability to accommodate an uneven or inclined supporting surface. Often,the object or device is a portable device that preferably accommodates awide variety of such supporting surfaces through use of one or more suchextendable support members. Generally, known extendable support membersinclude a pair of coaxial, telescoped members, wherein one member isselectively translated relative to the other in order to achieve anextended condition providing the support with a desired overall length,perhaps with the aid of a screw drive or a ratchet-tensioned pulleysystem. The support is thereafter maintained in an extended conditionwith a locking mechanism that may include a transverse locking pin, arotatable chuck or locking collar, or a ratchet mechanism. Upon releaseof the locking mechanism, the one member may be moved in the oppositedirection, perhaps with the aid of a return spring, to thereby returnthe support to a retracted condition.

For purposes of illustration, in the context of an adjustable-lengthkickstand for a motorcycle, the relative translation of the one memberrelative to the other member is often achieved with the aid of gravity,with the one member sliding relative to the other member once both anassociated stowage lock has been released and the kickstand has beenpivoted from a generally horizontal stowage position to a generallyvertical position, as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,562. Alternatively,the one member is manually extended relative to the other member, eitherby hand or using the operator's foot, perhaps as further resisted by areturn spring.

Once adjusted to the desired overall length, the members of thekickstand are locked relative to one another, for example, by insertionof a locking pin through a pair of aligned holes formed in the membersas in U.S. Pat. No. 5,388,848, or by tightening an encompassing collarso as to generate an interference between the two members as in U.S.Pat. No. 4,169,687, or by tightening a set screw as in U.S. Pat. No.4,986,557. Another approach is to employ a ratchet mechanism as in U.S.Pat. No. 4,432,562. Yet another approach is to include a cooperating pinand slot mechanism as taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,804, in which theextended member is rotated about its longitudinal axis such that aprojecting pin on the extended member is urged into one of severallongitudinally-spaced canted slots.

When the kickstand is to be longitudinally collapsed, the lockingmechanism is manually deactivated or decoupled, as by removing thelocking pin, or turning the chuck or collar, or tensioning a releasecable for the ratchet mechanism of U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,562, orcounter-rotating the one member to disengage the cooperating pin andslot mechanism of U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,804, whereupon the one member maybe moved back to a retracted position relative to the other member.Unfortunately, such manual deactivation or decoupling of the lockingmechanism and, particularly, those requiring the relative rotation of alocking mechanism or one of the members themselves, can be difficultbecause the motorcycle operator must simultaneously balance the weightof the motorcycle.

Accordingly, what is needed is an adjustable telescoping support memberthat is simply and readily extended with pre-adjusted points ofleverage. With simple pin placement within the support arm or kickstand,the stand can be extended or retrated to a predetermined length andsecurely held into place with a locking key or bolt.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Under the invention, an extendable support member includes a firstelongate member defining a longitudinal bore along a longitudinal axis,wherein holes are bored through the member. A second elongate memberadapted to be received in the longitudinal bore of the first member,wherein an outer surface of the second member includes a set screw toslide through the second member into one of many holes in the firstmember holding it securely into place.

The support member further includes at least one gravity-responsivelocking element, preferably carried within a respective recess of one ofthe inner and outer members, wherein the locking element is movablewithin the members. In a preferred embodiment, the locking elementincludes an element, such a hardened steel pin that connects the firstand second members. The locking element can be moved from one positioninto another lowering are increasing the angle of support and operativeorientation.

Other advantages, features, and benefits of the invention will bereadily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferredembodiment, when taken in connection with the accompanying Drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates the front view of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a side view of the invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates an outside view of the invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates an isometric view of the invention switch

FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of the spring pin of the invention

FIG. 6 illustrates the top main body view of the invention

FIG. 7 illustrates the main body side view of the invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN ENABLING AND PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The illustrations and examples provided herein are for explanatorypurposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the appended claims,as those skilled in the art will make modifications to the invention forparticular uses.

1. A extendable support member comprising: an extendable support memberincludes a first elongate member defining a longitudinal bore along alongitudinal axis, wherein holes are bored through the member. A secondelongate member adapted to be received in the longitudinal bore of thefirst member, wherein an outer surface of the second member includes aset screw to slide through the second member into one of many holes inthe first member holding it securely into place.
 2. The adjustablesupport member of claim 1, wherein the locking element includes anelement that slides within the recess of the second member.
 3. Theadjustable support member of claim 2, wherein the sliding element isspherical.
 4. The adjustable support member of claim 2, wherein thelocking element further includes a screw or bolts that is urged towardthe first position for locking purposes.
 5. The adjustable supportmember of claim 1, wherein the locking element includes a bolt, andwherein the first position is characterized by a projection of a firstend of the member into the recess of the first member.